Vintage Hollywood films and stars

RAY TEAL

A face you immediately recognise. RAY TEAL (1902-1976) had a 4 decade career starting in 1937. Never out of work I imagine, Ray had many uncredited roles for a long time, then in 1946 he got the part of Little John in THE BANDIT OF SHERWOOD FOREST.

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I grew up watching Ray Teal as Roy Coffee on Bonanza, and the more older films I watched the more I became impressed with the versatility of this former musician. I imagine casting directors shaking their heads over whether to cast him as a good citizen or an outlaw as he made every role believable.

An extremely versatile actor who could play good or bad guys, and those existing precariously in between, with consummate ease. His is a name it’s invariably a pleasure to see among the credits of a movie.

Mighty fine to see a tribute to the splendid Mr Teal.
My favourite Ray role; the incredibly slimy horse trader
in GUNMAN’S WALK. You can actually see the cogs tick over
in Ray’s mind as he conducts his dodgy deals.

Oooh – one of my favorites! My cinematic tail always wags a bit when I see him on screen (in the “happy to see you!” way). I, too, first met him on “Bonanza,” and, as the years unfolded, was more and more amazed at how many time I came across him in film and on TV. Great post and great entry in the blogathon.